Police Aviation News November 2008

Police Aviation News November 2008 10
tive of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust said ‘This mission marks a very significant landmark
for the charity, and has been the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. Of
course none of this would have been possible without the unstinting support of the community,
businesses and friends of Devon.’
She added ‘It’s now a time for reflection. We know there are many eyes on us within the
industry, all waiting to see how it pans out owning our helicopter, instead of the traditional
leasing. We have no doubt at all that it was the best step forward for Devon, ensuring the
future stability and growth of the service. However we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. Just
because we own it, doesn’t mean there aren’t bills to pay, and funds to be raised. We need
all of our supporters more than ever.’
North Devon’s venerable Bolkow 105DBS4 air ambulance was been replaced as of Saturday
4 th October, with G-DAAT, the EC135 which was formerly flying out of Exeter. Both aircraft
are owned and operated by Bond Air Services for the Charity. G-DAAT was replaced
by the new EC135T2, which has been bought outright by the charity [see last issue].
EAST ANGLIA: To help the East Anglian Air Ambulance conserve vital funds, Marshall
Airport Cambridge UK has made a hangar available to provide overnight accommodation
for Anglia Two, the Eurocopter BK117C1 air ambulance serving the counties of Bedfordshire
and Cambridgeshire.
The regional airport, owned by the Marshall Group, will make no charge for housing the air
ambulance and preparing it for operational duties each morning. It is also only 12 miles
from the aircraft’s operational base at RAF Wyton so the move will save the charity the cost
of flying the aircraft back to its base at Norwich Airport each evening and back down to RAF
Wyton in the morning.
While Anglia Two will now be housed at Cambridge, its operational base remains RAF Wyton
and it will relocate to the base each morning to meet its crew of highly skilled clinicians
from emergency medical charity Magpas.
Michael Marshall, Chairman of the Marshall Group, already supports the EAAA as the chairman
of the Council of Reference of its Court of Benefactors, which assists the charity with
the development of its service across the region.
The Marshall Group is an established maintenance
and repair facility as well as design
engineering expertise perhaps best known for
its current work supporting Lockheed C-130
Hercules aircraft in the UK. The airport formerly
known as Cambridge City Airport
changed its name last month and will now be
known as Marshall Airport Cambridge UK to
coincide with the latest development at the
airport – the Marshall Business Aviation Centre.
The facilities have been expanded to take
on a new 25,000 sq ft hangar built adjacent to
the existing MRO facility at Cambridge.
The EAAA’s first aircraft, Anglia One, provides
a dedicated service to Norfolk and Suffolk
using a similar BK117C1 helicopter.
Left to right: Michael Black, Treasurer, Magpas; Simon Gray,
Executive Director, East Anglian Air Ambulance; Michael Marshall,
Chairman of the Marshall Group of Companies and John
Watkins, Director, Airport Operations and Development.
Steve Norris, pilot, is pictured in the background with the
BK117C1 G-RESC flown as ‘Anglia Two’.